YOUR DEDICATED PARTNER IN BUSINESS EMPOWERMENT, TRANSFORMATION, AND GROWTH
What we do.
At Liba Advisory Group, we specialize in helping start-ups and other early-stage companies, family-owned operations, carve-outs, and companies in the process of restructuring or in transition navigate the complex world of legal, HR, investor relations, and board governance. With deep expertise in consumer goods companies on a global scale, in both growth and restructuring phases, we provide tailored and holistic solutions to ensure your business is built on a strong foundation, including set-up of legal and HR processes, identification and recruitment of high-quality team members at the right time, selection and oversight of external legal support, in-sourcing of general legal services, management of boards and investors, provision of corporate secretarial services, and more. We have substantial experience collaborating with entrepreneurs and founders, C-suites, private equity and other investor groups. We can provide guidance on crisis management, regulatory issues, internal investigations, internal and external communications, M&A, and interaction with governmental authorities. On topics requiring greater expertise, we will connect you with experts across the globe to ensure you are obtaining quality advice on a variety of matters, while managing your cost and time constraints. We work alongside you to identify, analyze, and mitigate risks, streamline the traditional support functions, and position your company for sustainable growth—so you can focus on what matters most: Scaling your vision.
How we do it.
We offer flexible, on-demand support as transitional or fractional Chief Administrative Officers, Chief Legal Officers/General Counsels, and Chief Human Resources Officers, or simply external cost-efficient and timely support — either on a full-time or part-time basis, from a few months to indefinitely. Additionally, we can serve as independent board members or provide strategic guidance as needed. We provide the right process, the right structure, and the right cost at the right time for your company.
Who we are.
Courtney Ozer is a highly accomplished and strategic senior executive with over 20 years of experience as a creative problem solver and business strategist who excels in high-growth, start-up, transformation, and restructuring environments. She is a valued partner to boards of directors, global C-suite executives, private equity sponsors, and other investors on effective strategies to drive successful business outcomes. Courtney has expertise in building and managing high-performing teams across numerous functions, fostering a culture of collaboration and high performance. As the Chief People & Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary of LIVEKINDLY Collective, a $75m revenue private equity-backed plant-based food manufacturer and distributor with employees across North America, Europe, Africa, and Australia, she was a key member of the executive team with responsibility for legal, human resources, regulatory affairs, food quality, and communications activities globally. The company secured half a billion dollars in funding within its first two years and boasts a diverse group of hundreds of institutional and private investors, many of whom she communicated with on a frequent basis. Courtney was the first legal hire at the company in the role of General Counsel, tasked with designing and developing the legal function. Based on her early success in the General Counsel role, the company’s Board of Directors tasked Courtney with taking responsibility for and transforming the Human Resources function at the company. Among other responsibilities, Courtney was responsible for driving the execution of strategic transactions in North America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. She worked closely with cross-functional colleagues to integrate six acquisitions of founder-led companies based in the U.S., Europe, and South Africa as part of the company’s roll-up strategy. She managed the company’s equity and debt fundraising efforts. She proactively oversaw a global intellectual property portfolio and initiated the company’s patent strategy. Courtney negotiated the resolution of highly sensitive and challenging disputes, developed crisis communication plans, created legal and HR policies and procedures, and identified cost-effective technology solutions. She was also responsible for selecting and implementing the company’s contract management system. Courtney led multiple restructuring efforts, hired and terminated employees across the globe in countries with varying employment laws, led efforts to identify and hire C-suite executives, and designed and implemented equity plans. She was the primary advisor to the Board of Directors and its committees, including compensation and audit, with responsibility for corporate and board governance. Through this experience, she gained expertise in issues facing committees in early-stage companies. Courtney also authored the company’s Code of Conduct & Integrity and selected and implemented its ethics hotline. Prior to her role at LIVEKINDLY Collective, Courtney spent eight years at Unilever (NYSE: UL), a $100b+ market cap global consumer goods company, capping her time there as head of litigation for Unilever’s $10 billion U.S. business. During her tenure, she developed strategies to defend and resolve an extensive caseload of consumer class actions, as well as commercial, employment, false advertising, trademark, product liability, and personal injury cases. In addition, she served as the primary legal partner for the company’s food service business, guided the company in responding to government investigations and inquiries, and liaised with external auditors regarding litigation risks, reserves, and contingencies. Courtney began her career in private practice in New York City where, for a decade, she honed her strategy development and counseling skills as a trusted advisor to clients in complex civil and white-collar criminal cases and regulatory investigations. Courtney sits on the boards of Rescuing Leftover Cuisine, a national non-profit food rescue organization, and 340 Owners Corp, a co-operative apartment building in New York City. She is a member of the Women’s General Counsel Network and Women Corporate Directors BoardNext. Courtney holds a B.A. from New York University and a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center and is admitted to the Bars in New York and Arizona, the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, and the United States Supreme Court.
Why is transitional or fractional support helpful?
If you’re a start-up founder or board member, you should think seriously about the benefits of working with transitional or fractional resources. You can benefit from such executives’ decades of experience while maximizing your spend if you don’t need a full-time executive in that function. For example, most start-ups are paying law firms too much for day-to-day legal work like customer disputes, employment agreements, board agendas and resolutions, and other advice. A transitional executive only works with a limited number of clients at a time, so they can embed themselves in the business and truly get to know it, the team, and the company’s priorities. They are also more responsive than outside counsel. A transitional GC can also effectively manage outside counsel to make sure the company is getting the most out of its legal budget. At the same time, transitional or fractional CHROs can help with day-to-day HR work like recruiting, onboarding, and terminating employees, as well as growth and restructuring agendas, and organizational design. Transitional support personnel can also support your company while you engage in the recruiting process for a full-time Chief Legal Officer/General Counsel, Chief HR Officer, or Chief Administrative Officer.
